#21 - Sleep and Food: You Sleep What You Eat

Nutrition and food are big topics within sleep circles. What can I eat to support great sleep? In this episode we will:

• Learn about the amnio acid tryptophan and what food contain high levels.
• Debunk the myth that turkey contains high levels of tryptophan, and thus is the reason why you fall asleep after eating turkey on Thanksgiving
• Outline the steps in melatonin synthesis, beginning with tryptophan being facilitated by calcium and insulin levels in the body
• List the various enzymes and chemicals that catalyze the steps of melatonin synthesis, and the nutrients that support them
• Highlight foods that are sources of intrinsic melatonin, such as tart cherries, black walnuts, and almonds
• Investigate GABA, potassium, and apigenin as chemicals outside of the melatonin synthesis pathway than can influence sleep.

Produced by: Maeve Winter

More

• Twitter: @drchriswinter
• IG: @drchriwinter
• Threads: @drchriswinter
• Bluesky: @drchriswinter
• The Sleep Solution and The Rested Child

Thanks for listening and sleep well!